Advertisement

Former AWEMA charity boss cleared of two fraud charges

The former chief executive of the now-defunct All Wales Ethnic Minority Association (AWEMA) charity has been cleared of two counts of fraud. Nasir Malik, 65, had denied the charges, which related to the improper use of charity funds. A jury at Swansea Crown Court failed to reach a verdict on a third charge.

AWEMA boss 'took pay cut' to fund insurance policy

The former boss of the now-defunct All Wales Ethnic Minority Association (AWEMA) told a court a pension scene would have been offered to all employees, a court heard.

Nasir Malik, 65, is on trial at Swansea Crown Court accused of three counts of fraud. It's alleged he used charity funds to pay off more than £12,000 in credit card debt, as well £3,500 towards his own life insurance policy. He denies all the charges.

During cross-examination by prosecutor Jim Davies QC today, Malik told the court that the pension scheme would have been extended to all staff had the organisation not folded.

He admitted that some of AWEMA's accounts were inaccurate, but blamed the charity's finance director Saquib Zia for the errors. Malik told the court it was Mr Zia who incorrectly recorded his pension scheme as 'insurance' rather than 'life insurance' or 'Mr Malik benefit.' He said the responsibility for managing Mr Zia lay with AWEMA's treasurer Stephen Matthews.

Malik also told the court he had made a hand-written note to AWEMA board members saying he would be taking a pay cut to fund his life insurance policy.